Hello, you
by EchoAuror7864
Summary: Nobody understood how these people got so good at pokémon battling in such a short time. Set in game-verse.
1. The Beginning

Once upon a time, there was a woman who lived in Pallet town, Kanto.

The wind was howling and hail fell onto her house's windows like stones, but for the time being, she was content.

"Red."

She didn't know why she decided to name her still unborn baby "Red", yet it came to her mind. Perhaps it was because of the faded red cap on the table, or perhaps it was because she felt warm, as warm and as bright as the fire in the fireplace.

Well, not exactly fire, as it was electric.

Her mind trailed towards thoughts of a certain Professor Oak. This blasted winter had broken all the records temperature-wise for the past 20 years, and Pallet Town was stuck, unprepared. Roads became coated with ice and trees in the surrounding forest fell due to the enormous weight of the snow on top of them, cutting everybody off from each other. She hadn't seen him for the past 2 weeks.

She hoped he was okay. The man was nearly 60 years of age, and to top it all off, he had a new grandson! What was his name, Blue? Blue and Red, huh?

Chuckling, she suddenly realized she was tired, and yawned.

After getting up and making her way to her bedroom, she quickly fell asleep, even if it was only 7:00 P.M.

This is not the beginning.

No, the beginning happened long, long ago. "Red" was just the first chapter.

* * *

In the _true_ beginning, there were only rumors.

Now, this was a time when people were superstitious, and many thought that Gengar were the spirits of the dead, that a Deerling's head flower would cure any disease if it was used to make tea, and the term "pokémon" handn't even been said yet. Rumors were common, spreading to towns and villages quicker than the wind, and most people with some education learned to tune them out.

Yet this rumor was of extra interest.

Only about 10 years prior, humanity had invented the primitive pokéball, a crude device which could capture Pokémon and carry them around. As it was only the first generation, they were prone to breaking if dropped and would deteriorate over time.

Despite all of this, humanity latched on to this invention, and many caught pokemon to keep as pets or companions. Other caught them to train them for entertainment battles.

Today, December 20th, a Dewgong and a Dugtrio were battling in the stadium. Many people brought signs cheering for their favorite competitor, while others covered their eyes, afraid to watch in fear of bloodshed.

The Dewgong had the type advantage, but the Dugtrio was fast, and Dewgong couldn't land many hits onto the Dugtrio. Suddenly, the Dugtrio changed tactics, throwing out a sand attack. The Dewgong howled as it tried to get rid of the sand in it's eyes.

"Dewgong! Use Perish Song!"

The howling stopped, replaced by a beautiful cry, and the Dugtrio's time on the battleground was on a timer. All of a sudden the Dugtrio went onto the offensive again, and quickly retaliated with a stone edge. The ground shook, and people clutched onto their seats as pillars of stone rose and struck the Dewgong right onto the bottom of it's stomach.

Clearly in pain, the Dewgong cried out once more, but it picked itself up again. She attempted a scald, hoping to at least get a burn onto the Dugtrio. The trainer, confident that the Dewgong would miss, ordered the Dugtrio to stay where it was. The scald hit something, as steam quickly filled part of the battleground. Only the cry of pain told everyone that the scald had indeed hit the Dugtrio.

"Dewgong! Finish this with Ice Beam!"

"Dugtrio! Try your Double-Edge!"

The two attacks collided with each other in the middle of the stadium, and a large explosion rang out. The crowd leaned forward, wondering what happened. Bets were already being whispered around the stadium.

All of a sudden, a wisp of a creature came out of the dust cloud and floated into the sky. It was transparent, with what seemed like ghostly eyes filled with the knowledge unknown to anybody, and a long, slender body like a Ekans. Nobody could get a good look at the creature, for it flew away, disappearing into the distance.

The dust finally cleared, to reveal that both the Dewgong and the Dugtrio had been knocked out.

It was a tie, the first for this stadium.

The crowd left the stadium soon after, as that was the last battle, and rumors began about the mysterious wisp of a creature.

Some said that it was a new, undiscovered species that had been sleeping inside the ground of the stadium, while others stated that it was a message from Arceus himself. Thousands of voices talking to each other and wondering what it was.

Eventually, the rumor died out, along with the events of that day. Time was cruel to ideas and thoughts that were not written down.

This beginning will never end, for as long as the universe and Arceus exist.

Never.

* * *

Review as hard as you can. I know that this probably sucks to experienced writers so I need as much input as I can.


	2. Time as it passes

So, Red was champion, huh?

Blue stood silently outside the doors of the Pokémon League's entrance. He'd worked so hard to get where he was, trained in the rain, hail, sleet, and snow, gone and asked people for any sort of advice for his Pokémon, defeated all the gym leaders….

And, no, Gramps was wrong. He had loved and cared for his companions.

 _How did Red get so good?_

He remembered the first time they met. Red constantly talked, so much so that he'd gotten into the habit of bringing earplugs just to annoy him when Red had gotten into one of his rants about being champion. He remembers that one time they made it out of the forest after getting lost and somehow managing to keep it a secret from their elders; Red's mom and Gramps would never let them hear the end of it if they found out.

He remembers that one time, when they both found a pokéball on the ground and got into that awful argument about who got to keep it, and he doesn't know who grabbed it first, only that voice in his mind saying _it's yours_ and then next thing they knew the pokéball was on the ground, it's two halves wobbling back and forth in place.

Both of them headed home with a sour mood after that, and for the next three days things were tense. They didn't stop talking, it was just less than usual, and to this day that argument still hasn't been solved.

On the fourth day, Red stopped talking altogether.

He doesn't know _why_ , just that he was talking fine one day and shutting up the next, and he'd been trying to get him to say something, only to get nothing for his efforts. He'd thought about why to this day, and the only connection he could make was that on the fifth day they turned 10.

That day was December 20th, and it's been ingrained in his mind forever.

And that's when Red's unbelievable winning streak started, defeating trainer after trainer (including Blue himself) with ease, as if he could see things that nobody else could, as if he had second, third, fourth chances on anything, as if...

As if this wasn't him.

He was thinking too hard about this, wasn't he?

Yeah, that's it.

* * *

Silver was perplexed.

It was December 20th, and as expected Johto was suffering from the grips of winter. Surprisingly, the winter wasn't as bad as other years, two years ago he could barely walk down the block of his neighborhood without slipping on ice any day of the week. Back then, he categorized looking for ice on the ground as normal day behavior.

And just like any other day, Ethan beat him, again, just like those other times back when he didn't understand about taking care of your pokémon "with love and care" as said by Professor Elm.

That was just the thing that bothered him; how some kid from some small village managed to beat him, who had access to his old man's battle records and strong pokemon, again and again and again. Even after he evolved his pokémon, pushed himself to his absolute limits, he was still defeated by that kid with the cap, Ethan.

At least he was better than Ethan on verbal skills. He talked, just not much, and asking him anything just had him answer with silence or some bland answer with no real thought to it.

Silver didn't notice that someone was approaching him until he was standing right next to him. The man introduced himself as "Blue", and Silver recognized him as the former champion of Kanto, before being beaten by some guy named "Red". He'd always thought that their names were weird, but then again, who'd ever heard of a Professor named after a tree?

"I wanted to ask you something."

"Shoot."

"I know that you know Ethan, so I wanted to ask you whether he went to Mount Silver recently."

"I don't know. Honestly, I just had a battle with him 20 minutes ago, and being the silent little twerp he his, he didn't say a thing."

Blue walked away from the conversation after asking Silver about where the nearest Pokémart was so he could stock up on full restores. A few weeks ago he went up to Mount Silver himself after he heard news that Red was seen on the top of that thing. By that point Red had been missing for several months, and he was ready to yell in his rival's face till he was blue (no pun intended) about where _the hell you were and your mom's been worried sick for the past few months you douche_.

What he found was that Red wasn't quiet anymore, as if all that silence for the last year or so just vanished into thin air. And of course, Red being Red, said that he'd return back home as soon as he finished the international pokédex, and then challenged Blue straight into a battle.

What happened during the battle confused him even more, because even though Red won in the end, he didn't seem to be as good as when he was silent. The only reason he won at all was because he got a critical hit on Blue's Pidgeot with Venusaur's Giga Drain.

Blue's still confused as to why Red even climbed the mountain in the first place, since it's rocky terrain and heavy blizzards deter even veteran trainers from climbing it, and if that wasn't enough, the chance of injury and/or death was quite high.

In his gut, Blue feels like he wasn't thinking too hard about it after all.

* * *

Somewhere in Hoenn, May stood in a patch of tall grass.

That Brendan was… something, alright. Of course, he was a gym leader's son, so it was expected that he'd had some practice with Pokémon and battling before becoming an official trainer, but this was on a new level.

When she was little, in kindergarten, she listened to the town teacher about how in order to become a champion, they'd all need to get serious and train hard in order to even stand the chance to defeat the elite four, let alone the champion. She remembered raising her hand and asking, "What Pokémon should we use in order to become strong?"

Instead of getting a straightforward answer, the teacher chuckled and asked if anybody in the class knew about Johto's dark-type elite four member, Karen. Nobody raised a hand, and the room was silent.

"Mrs. Karen is a accomplished Pokémon trainer, and she is best known for something she has said to every trainer that has managed to defeat her in the league. Does anybody know what she says?"

More silence.

"Strong Pokémon. Weak Pokémon. That is only the selfish perception of people. Truly skilled trainers should try to win with their favorites. I like your style. You understand what's important. Go on - the Champion is waiting."

"You see? It matters not what Pokémon you choose to be your companion, but how you train them, and how much you care for them. That is the way of a Pokémon master."

Brendan seemed to be the exact opposite, though.

Early into their journey, Wally had come up to her and mentioned that Brendan spent around 2 hours in Route 102 looking for something, but he couldn't see what. Later, when she battled him, his brand-new Ralts beat her Grovyle using Confusion while Grovyle kept hitting _himself_ in confusion.

It wasn't the fact that he had a Ralts that bothered her, but rather the fact that Ralts were extremely rare in the area, and that there were much more common pokemon that he could have caught. Why not a Poochyena, or a Seedot? Those were much more common, and it did seem to save a lot of time and frustration.

After their fourth battle, which he won, she managed to ask him about it.

"Ralts are slightly stronger than Poochyena and Seedot."

After that conversation she'd gone around and looked up every scientific article about the strength of Ralts, Kirlia, and Gardevoir she could get her hands on, but there was no mention about how they were somehow "stronger" than other Pokémon, only the fact that they had extraordinary psychic powers.

And yet, that Gardevoir kept being the one Pokémon on Brendan's team that always seemed to win the most battles out of all it's other members.

" _Truly skilled trainers should try to win with their favorites_."

And now, he was champion, the most powerful trainer in Hoenn. His signature Pokémon? Other than his Swampert, which had caught her off guard when it used _Ice Beam_ against her Sceptile, OHKO'ing it, it was Gardevoir.

It seemed that Brendan just knew instinctively which Pokémon to use against her and Wally, the best way to train them, the quickest way to defeat gym leaders…

It was as if he had a guide, and it was frustrating.

She shook her head. No, she was thinking too hard about coincidences. It was December 20th anyway, and she'd better make her way back to Littleroot so she'd be in time for Christmas.

* * *

Being stuck in a town, Barry thought, was one of the most aggravating things in the world.

Winter had never been Barry's favorite season, due to all of the jam-ups in traffic and movement. Even Sinnoh, which was used to blizzards and temperatures going as low as -20 degrees had times where it's government simply could not deal with all that snow all at once. This was one of those times, and to pass the time Barry willed himself to pace back and forth in the Pokémon center, waiting for the storm to pass.

If he was late back to Twinleaf town, Professor Rowan would never let him hear the end of it, and that wasted time! He had places to go, people to see, Pokémon to train…

If Lucas was here, it be so much easier.

Sure, Barry had a Rapidash that was pretty good at melting the snow and ice on the routes, but it was sick, and currently in hospital care. Infernape, with it's Flame Wheel would be a lot more efficient, saving time!

And as he learned over the course of his journey, time is money.

Now that he thought about it, Lucas hadn't been around for some time. After defeating Cynthia and becoming champion, he just… disappeared. Barry asked several people if they knew where he was, and all he got for his efforts was some vague answer about going to see the cave of whatsis-name or whatever.

Cyrus tried to do his "destroy the world" schtick inside that cave, and the image of Palkia and Dialga would never leave his mind. The gods of time and space, right in front of him!

What a time waster. He failed in the end anyway.

Weirder still, it seemed like Lucas knew something about where Ar-

Wait, there was a sale for Pokédolls?

Barry was never one to dwell on things for too long; it did waste time. It was December 20th, and it would take around 4 days to return back to Twinleaf. That sale of dolls was just the thing he needed.

After all, he was thinking about Lucas a little too hard for his liking.

* * *

"Samurott! Use Hydro Pump!"

"Emboar! Try Thunder Punch!"

With a growl and a roar, both Pokémon collided, their two attacks kicking up dust in their wake. Both Cheren and Bianca leaned forward, wondering who won.

The dust cleared to reveal a tie.

"Aw man!"

"Good battle anyway."

A flash and a click later, the Pokémon were back in their pokéballs, and both trainers headed towards the nearest Pokécenter. Both of them looked forward to the warmth of a building; outside was rather unbearable for anybody not used to cold temperatures. After leaving their pokéballs with Nurse Joy, both slightly wet trainers sat in the waiting room, nursing cups of hot chocolate. Outside, the snow reflected light from street lamps, and if one looked outside the window, it would seem like they were inside a snow globe.

"What day is it today?"

"December 20th."

"Wow, it's been only 4 months. Time sure flies, huh?"

And indeed it does, to Cheren it seemed like yesterday he saw Hilbert defeat Alder, then N, and then Ghetsis in the league…it was all a little too much to take in all at once, that a person, even if he was their friend, came from some small town, took Unova by storm, and became champion.

Bianca would often wonder, out loud, how he did it. Of course, she would tell herself, it was because Hilbert took such good care of his Pokémon, because he trained harder than everyone else with them and because he understood them…

But then Cheren would ask her why they couldn't do it.

Of course, he didn't really mean it, and he quickly said that it was because they just arrived a little too late because they wanted to train, they wanted to make sure they were ready for the long, long fight ahead.

But deep in her mind, she knew why Hilbert became champion, however stupid it sounded.

Near the end of their journey, Hilbert disappeared for a week. Nobody knew where he went, and both of them just assumed that he went to some remote place to train in peace and quiet.

After that week, he came back with a new Haxorus.

Haxorus were incredibly rare, and the only way to get one was in Mistralton cave, where Axew had a 20% encounter rate at most. Stranger still, Hilbert seemed to… wince? every time he sent out Haxorus, as if he didn't like it.

Cheren later told her that he was confused too; Hilbert's favorite dragon type Pokémon was always Druddigon, and they were a lot more common to boot. Why not just use that?

"Druddigon are too slow.", Hilbert told Cheren.

Sure, Druddigon were slower than most Pokémon, but what was the issue with that? Cheren always followed the mentality of using what Pokémon you liked and there was no such thing as a "strong" Pokémon, was there?

Bianca understood right then why Hilbert was so strong. It was because he was willing to do something many trainers would never do: choose and abandon Pokémon based on some arbitrary measurement of their strength. What did he call it again? IV's? EV's?

To think that this was probably the reason why he became champion made her stomach lurch. She never told anyone.

Sometimes, when she was alone, staring at the sky, she'd wonder: if she followed the same "strategy" as Hilbert, would she be champion instead of him? Would she be the one with the honor of being called Unova's strongest? Maybe then dad would finally understand that she was strong and capable of taking care of herself…

But then she'd look over to her Pokémon, her friends that helped her through thick and thin, and she just knew she would never be able to truly abandon them.

"Your Pokémon are fully healed. We hope to see you again!"

Oh well. She'd just have to train harder, get stronger. That was the key to success in this world, wasn't it?

She'd prove Hilbert wrong someday.

* * *

Liepard was making a mess of everything.

Which is not helping matters, because that strewn wrapping paper was going to take forever to clean up, not to mention all the ribbons and tape. Sure, it was only December 20th, four days till Christmas, but being early never hurt, right?

Hugh sighed and moved on to the next present.

Free coupons for items at the Pokémon Center would be nice to most trainers, but with the amount of traveling Nate did, it was practically a godsend. Hugh found out the hard way that being stuck in the middle of the woods with no repels or potions was a nightmare.

How long was it since Neo Team Plasma fell?

To him, it seemed like forever ago, but the time he spent tracking them down and defeating their so-called "loyal members" was forever ingrained in his mind, and he'll never forget that despair in his chest when he saw Liepard, yucking up to that sick Plasma leader bastard like he was the best thing ever.

But at least they're done for.

After all that, Nate went to the Pokémon World Tournament to test his skills, or at least that's what Hugh hoped he was doing. The last tournament happened, what, 2 weeks ago? Broadcast all over Unova, everyone knew Nate now.

He remembered watching the battles go on, as legendary Pokémon Trainers battled each other, and he remembered all that adrenaline coursing through his body.

Garchomp vs Dragonite. Milotic vs Metagross.

Who would win? Who would fall?

At long last, the grand finale. Nate was there, which was expected of a person who took down Neo Team Plasma (truth be told, if Nate wasn't there, he would've yelled at the TV screen till his lungs gave out) and… Red, champion of Kanto.

Red lead with his his Pikachu, his signature, and Nate lead with Serperior.

"Battle… begin!"

The Pikachu started things off with a fake out, which already set Nate back as now Red had a extra turn for planning. Then, Serperior suddenly released a huge Leaf Storm, which hurled towards the Pikachu. Thinking quickly, Red issued an order.

"Pikachu! Counter with Volt Tackle!"

The two moves collided.

A explosion ripped through the battleground, and several squeals of pain could be heard. The dust cleared, to reveal that Pikachu had fainted, it's tail frumpled against it's small body.

As the rest of the matches went on, Nate seemed to be able to counter every strategy, every move, every Pokémon that Red could throw at him. Charizard was defeated with a Stone Edge from Excadrill, Venusaur with a powerful Psychic from Espeon… and as he watched, he noticed something for the first time.

Now that he thought about it, Nate always, and he meant always seemed to know what was going to happen next. Up against trainers who revealed later that the had a full rock and ground type team? Nate sent out Serperior first, always. Plasma grunts who revealed that they only had a poison type team? Espeon and Excadrill were always the ones who were sent out first.

It's happened so much that Hugh stopped noticing it. Once or twice could be chalked up to coincidence or extreme luck, but all the time?

Hugh liked to think of himself as a rather down-to-earth individual. He, like his parents, liked to think that science had a answer to how things worked.

The ability to (possibly) see the future as if it were a book is not science.

"Brother! What are you doing in your room?"

Shit.

"Nothing!"

He had to hide what he was wrapping, and quickly. He needed this present to be a surprise.

Thinking about the future could come later.

* * *

It was raining.

Not surprising for Kalos' Route 14, with it's swampy mud and shallow, murky water covering nearly half of it. Many trainers avoided this path, due to the fact that in order to go across it, you needed to have Pokémon who knew Surf and Cut.

Serena had been here for the past 3 hours, searching for a lost pokéball she dropped somewhere. It probably wasn't worth the effort, but the best word everyone used to describe Serena was "stubborn", and she wasn't giving up anytime soon.

If Calem was here, he'd find that pokéball in an instant. He always seemed to have a knack for luck.

A rustle near a bunch of plants alerted Serena that someone was just across from her.

"Ow!"

"Trevor! You okay?"

"Quick! Chesnaught, get my medical supplies!"

"What's going on here?"

What Serena saw was Shauna, Trevor, and Tierno, with Trevor having a rather large and nasty thorn on his leg.

"Trevor, are you alright?"

"I'm fine! I was trying to get a photo of a Karrablast and Shelmet eating berries, but I guess I leaned too far and this thorn got on my leg."

"Who knows what plant that thorn came from."

Shauna let out a huff.

"I'm not taking any chances, that plant could be poisonous! I think I have some antidote in my ba- thanks Chesnaught."

"I think you guys better put on jackets too. Aren't you cold?"

"What day is it?"

"I think you should know. You have a calendar on you 24/7."

Tierno sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.

"Whoops, you're right! Lemme see… December 20th?"

"Now that you mention it, it is kinda cold… what are you doing out here, Serena?"

"I was looking for a pokéball I dropped somewhere."

"In here? You best go out and buy a new one."

"No way."

"Guess Korrina was right about you being stubborn."

Shauna finished applying the antidote to Trevor's leg and stood up, stretching.

"Well, if Calem was here, he'd find that no problem!"

"That's what I was just thinking."

"Wait, what do you mean?"

"Oh right, Tierno, you weren't there at the time. See, Calem has a tendency to find these really rare and hard-to-find Pokémon all the time. It's like he's a walking Pokémon attractor."

"Or like they have a giant red flag on them."

"Or like he seems to have a lot of chances to find them."

Shauna, Trevor, and Tierno all looked confused.

"You guys didn't notice? It's like… it's like Calem could do things over and over and over again until he got the result he wanted. I remember seeing him battle this one time… we all know that if you're defeated by a gym leader, you have to wait at least a week before trying again. Right?"

"Right… and?"

"Well, I've seen Calem battle gym leaders, and it's like if he battled them before, he just seemed to know their tactics and techniques, and the only thing holding him back was, well, himself."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Sometimes, he'll send out Pokémon that I know have a disadvantage over the opposing Pokémon, even if there was one that could do the job a lot easier. It's like he's doing this because he wants a challenge."

Silence.

"Well, there's a lot of reasons why he'd do what you just said!"

"Yeah, what if he just sort of "blanked out" a little when battling gym leaders and just momentarily forgot he had better Pokémon? You know, stress."

"Also, the point of gym battles is to challenge yourself, so maybe Calem's just doing this because he wants a harder challenge for the thrill of it."

Serena looked around a little, thinking.

"Yeah, you're right. I'm thinking too hard about this."

"That's the spirit!"

"But I'm still not giving up on finding that pokéball!"

* * *

The wisp headed towards Alola.

* * *

A couple things I wanna say:

1\. For those who don't know:

Red- Protagonist of Pokémon Red and Blue

Ethan- Protagonist of Pokémon Silver and Gold, along with remakes

And so on.

2\. The rest of the story will diverge slightly from Pokémon Sun and Moon's storyline.

3\. Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon will not feature in this story.

And as always, review!


	3. Begin again

Clunk.

"And that's the last of the luggage!"

"Meowth!"

Inside a house, a woman, around 30 years of age, and a Meowth were standing, with boxes surrounding them from all sides. No furniture was in place yet, and the only thing there other than the boxes was a orange rug on the floor.

Click.

"Hi, mom."

"Sun! Help me unpack so we can finally settle in."

For the next 5 hours, only the sound of opening boxes and the occasional conversation could be heard between mother and son. Slowly, the house became a home; rooms slowly had life and color added to them along with some white Meowth fur, and blue curtains complimented the windows. Sun's room had a bed with yellow sheets, and he finally got that Wii U he'd been asking for.

Despite all the work, by 9:00 there were still 23 boxes left to unpack. Mom stretched and yawned, clearly tired from the long day.

"Well, we'll finish unpacking tomorrow. It's getting late, and tomorrow you're supposed to meet Professor Kukui! I don't want you late."

"Mom, where's my Pikachu plush again?"

"I'm sure it's still in one of the boxes. You can survive one day without it, right?"

"Y-yeah, I was just wondering where it was."

"All right then, good night sweetie."

"Good night mom."

"Meowth!"

The lights turned off, and all was silent in the house.

"Hey, Meowth."

Or perhaps not.

"Meowth?"

"I've heard that there are Pokémon called Alolan Meowth around here. You think you could make friends with them?"

"Mroww…"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. You don't want to leave the house, you lazy bum. Wait, why am I talking to you in the first place? I don't even know what you're saying!"

Sun shook his head.

"I guest I'm just… nervous for tomorrow. Well, either way, good night, Meowth."

"Meow."

And all was finally silent.

* * *

"Ahh! Feel that Alolan sun! Meowth, come out here!"

It would have been necessary to call Meowth out if he wasn't already sleeping on the porch.

"Mrr…."

"Meowth! Wake up! Professor Kukui's coming soon, and I want the house to look presentable. By the way, go and wake up Sun. Breakfast is ready for both of you, got it?"

Grudgingly, Meowth got up and went back into the house. That spot was perfect for soaking up some rays and he had to give it up. Well, at least he cataloged where it was. When Meowth entered Sun's room, the boy was on top of his sheets and sleeping.

Several years of living with the family taught Meowth that the easiest way to make Sun get up was to yell loudly.

"Mwaaawwwwrrrrrrr!"

"Gah!"

Thump!

"Meowth! I told you I don't like that!" Sun got up from the ground and rubbed the spot where his head hit the ground. It already had a lump forming there.

"Sun! Breakfast is ready! I told you that I'm not having you meet Professor Kukui late, young man, so get down here!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming!"

Running down the stairs, Sun went into the kitchen, where he was greeted with the sight of all 23 boxes that were unpacked next to the dining table. Meowth was already there, eating Pokémon food.

"Mom, why are all the boxes in here?"

"I want the house to look presentable when the professor comes in here. Sit down and eat. He's coming in 2 hours."

Breakfast today was a quiet affair, with eggs, sausage, and some toast, along with a new pastry of some sort. Apparently Sun's mom had been researching up typical Alolan breakfasts and was trying her hand at making some. This pastry was apparently called malasadas. Sun tried one, decided that it was okay, and took 2 more.

After breakfast, Sun headed back up into his room to change and brush his teeth, along with Meowth's.

When he came back down, Professor Kukui was already in the living room, talking with Sun's mom.

"Hey there Sun! You feelin' any jet lag? It's a long way from Kanto out here!"

"A little. I couldn't sleep at first last night, so I talked to Meowth a little."

Sun's mom smiled and gestured to Meowth.

"I've been in love with Alolan Pokémon ever since I saw you battling gym leaders back in the Indigo League, and I finally decided to move here so I could see them every day!"

Kukui exploded into loud, happy laughter at that.

"Ha ha! I was only supposed to go to Kanto to research Pokémon moves. But I guess I got a little too interested in battling with the gym leaders! I thought I knew at least something about Pokémon battling, but boy was I wrong!"

"Meowth!"

Sun was looking slightly pale and nervous now.

"Umm, Professor Kukui?"

"Just call me Kukui. No need for formalities here, Sun!"

"R-right. Can I ask you why you're here?"

"I guess your mom didn't tell you then, huh? I'm taking you to meet the Island Kahuna so you can get yourself a Pokémon!"

"I-i'm getting a Pokémon? And what's a Kahuna?"

"The Kahunas are these super-strong trainers here in Alola! They're really good, and are unbeatable by you or me! The Kahuna that lives in the next town over is always happy to give a kid who wants to start their adventure a Pokémon!"

"They'll just give my boy a Pokémon? Those Kahunas really are worth meeting then!"

"M-mom… I told you that I don't want to become a Pokémon trainer a long time ago! Why did you do this?"

Sun's mom bent down so she could see eye-to-eye with her son. Patting his hair, she said,

"Sun, just try. You said that you didn't want to become a Pokémon trainer, what, nearly 5 years ago? Maybe as time went on, you changed your mind! Who knows, you could end up really liking it!"

"Okay. I'll try, but what if I don't like it?"

"That's okay then. I'm sure we can find something else you like!"

"O-okay."

Kukui listened to the entire conversation with curiosity. Sun didn't like Pokémon? That was a rarity; Pokémon trainer as a profession was becoming more and more common around the world by the day. Of course, this was because kids being kids loved the idea of walking around and challenging gyms with monsters that could spit fire and shoot lightning bolts out of their bodies.

"Well, Sun, are you ready?"

"Do I need to bring anything?"

"Oh, right! Sun, here."

It turns out that Sun's mom had already prepared a backpack full of supplies for Sun, along with a black cap to keep out the sun.

"Woo, that's a stylin' hat, cousin! Well, are we all set to go?"

Sun took a deep breath, trying to sound confident, when in reality, he was shaking slightly.

"Y-yeah!"

Sun's mom was currently in the far corner of the room, holding a Wailmer pail in her hand.

"Get going, Sun! By the time you get back, I'll have all these boxes unpacked!"

"Alright then, let's go!"

* * *

Stepping outside, Sun got the first good look around his house and the Alola region. They had arrived late in the day when they moved here, so he couldn't see very well in the darkness. But now, he could see how full of color and life Alola was. Green plants were everywhere, and the grass grew along every nook and cranny of the ground, except for the dirt road which only had a few weeds here and there. Bird Pokémon were on trees eating fruit, and he thought he saw a Pokémon much like a Rattata scurry by.

"Hey, Sun! Is the heat getting to you? Come on!"

Sun took one last good look at his house before following Professor Kukui up the dirt road. Along the way, Professor Kukui explained Pokémon and battling, even helping recommend a move to a little kid who came up to them on the way.

Maybe I should become a Pokémon professor. I could make mom happy and not have to go on a journey…

Eventually, they came up to an area with houses, and a large, barren platform in the middle with a intricate design in the center of it. An arch went over what seemed to be the only entrance to the area, surrounded by tall grass.

"We're here! This here is Iki town! This town is where folks come to worship the Pokémon that watches over our island, Melemele island! Tapu Koko keeps us all safe, yeah!"

Sun looked around. The area seemed to be rather barren of people except for a few, who all had Pokémon on them.

"Where's everyone else?"

"Hmm? Let me check the time… oh, we're early! Ha ha, miscalculations happen! Why don't you go around and talk with the people around here? I need to get things ready with the Island Kahuna."

Well, there wasn't much to do, so Sun walked past the houses into another rather barren area. In that area stood a kid, around the same height as him, but with dark green hair.

"Pichu! Try it again!"

"Piiii…"

"Umm… hi?"

"Agh!"

The kid jumped a little, and his Pichu lost focus, sending it's attack flying towards a tree behind it. After a small explosion and the smell of smoke, it was revealed that the tree was only slightly singed, with no sign of a fire.

"Heh heh, you scared me! You look new here, what's your name?"

"I'm Sun. What's your name?"

"Oh, I'm Hau! And this here is my partner Pichu!"

"Pichu!"

"So, Sun, what brings you here to Iki town?"

"Oh, uh, Professor Kukui brought me here to see if I'd like to get a Pokémon to start my journey."

"If?"

"Well, I, uh, don't really want to become a Pokémon trainer."

"WHAT?!"

Sun winced. That kid sure could be loud.

"Heh heh, sorry. I guess it's because I've grown up around Pokémon nearly all my life, I'm just not used to meeting a person who doesn't want to become a Pokémon trainer."

"Really? Do you know someone in this town?"

"Yeah! You know the Island Kahuna? He's my grandpa!"

"Cool! I kinda wanted to ask you what sort of Pokémon are available to new trainers here."

"Uh uh uh! That's a secret! You have to find out for yourself!"

"Aww…"

"Now I have a question for you, Sun. Why don't you want to become a Pokémon trainer?"

"Well, I'm from Kanto, and I see Pokémon battles all the time."

"If you see them all the time, I'd think you'd want to become a trainer."

"Actually, I just don't like seeing Pokémon battle. Especially if they get hurt during battle, I mean, everyone I talk to just mentions the battle being awesome, and it is, but not a lot of people ask the Pokémon if being hurt is worth having the battle."

"You actually make a good point, but I think that Pokémon like to battle, and they get that they're going to get hurt, but they do it anyway because it's fun to them!"

"... I guess."

The two boys made their way back to one of the houses. Actually, it was more along the lines of Hau dragging Sun because of his stomach.

"Where are we going?"

"I'm hungry! I haven't eaten breakfast just yet, and grandpa said that there was extra breakfast for people who come here to get their first Pokémon! Want some Malasadas? They're good!"

"No, I just had them for breakfast today. They are good, though."

"Suit yourself."

They sat in silence for a while as Hau fueled up of Malasadas. From what Sun could tell, Malasadas were Hau's favorite food.

"Hey, I just remembered something. Know that spot where me and Pichu were training?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"There's this place near one of the trees that I go to a lot, because there's always footprints of some Pokémon around there. I usually go check on it once a day and take pictures. Want to go with me?"

"Sure, Professor Kukui said that I arrived early, so there's not much for me to do around here."

"Nice!"

The two boys ran back up the hill they came from, and Hau stopped near a large tree. True to his words, there were several footprints of what looked like a bipedal Pokémon.

"Woah! What sort of footprints are these?"

"Neat, huh? I don't really know what Pokémon's footprints these are, but I was going to ask-"

"NEBBY!"

"Holy-"

"What was that?!"

"I think it came from there!"

Sun was the first to start running towards the direction of the sound. Hau followed behind him, being the one who was nervous this time around. He knew what was around that area: a old bridge that nobody used anymore.

When both boys got there, several Spearow were harassing another Pokémon on the bridge. There was another person too, a girl with long, blond hair and a large white hat.

"What's going on here?"

"H-help! Save Nebby!"

"Nebby? You mean that Pokémon right over there?"

Halfway across the bridge, there was what seemed like a purple and blue puffball. It was curled up on a plank, with Spearow flying above it, harassing it. The situation wasn't being helped with the bridge's condition: frayed ropes and half-rotted planks ran across its length.

"Hau, we've gotta get across!"

"Across this bridge? No way, my grandpa told me to never go here! This bridge hasn't been in use for at least 10 years!"

"Well we can't just sit here!"

"..."

Sun looked back at the bridge. Those Spearow weren't stopping anytime soon with the assault, and he swore he heard a Fearow cry.

"I'm going back to Iki to get grandpa. Stay here! We'll help you get back your Nebby, Ms..?"

"Oh, y-you can just call me Lillie."

"Okay. Don't try anything stupid, Sun!"

As soon as Hau left, Sun started to cross the bridge.

This was probably the stupidest idea he ever had in a long time; it seemed that every few steps something would inexplicably fall off, down into the river 100 feet below him. But that Pokémon was scared, and he wasn't going to let it get beat up by those Spearow.

As he approached "Nebby", he got on his hands and knees, and started to pick it up.

In hindsight, it probably would be a better idea to chase off the Spearow first before doing that, because not a second later, one of them tried to slash him with its talons, followed by another trying to peck him in the head. Sun was forced to bend down and try to avoid getting him and Nebby hit.

There was an old saying: Even mice will bite when cornered.

Well, that's what "Nebby" did, sending a tremendous shockwave blasting through the bridge. It scared off the Spearow, alright, but it also collapsed the old hunk of wood, sending both Sun and itself plummeting to the bottom of the ravine.

From the rate Sun was falling, it would take 5 seconds to hit the bottom.

Five.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

"Pew!"

"Nebby!"

Four.

He could hear the sound of running footsteps.

Something hazy was headed towards them. What was it?

Three.

On closer inspection, whatever it was looked like a Ekans. But they weren't transparent…

Two.

Water spray hit the back of his neck. That's not good.

One.

Reset.

 _Who was that?_

Zero.

Darkness.

* * *

"NEBBY!"

"What was that?"

 _W-what's going on?_

The last thing Sun remembered was falling off the bridge. Hadn't he been here before?

Suddenly, his body started to run towards Lillie's voice, like before, with Hau trailing him, sweat already breaking out.

 _Okay, Sun, breathe. You can't move, and the last thing you can remember is falling off that bridge. Nothing serious, right?_

"H-help! Save Nebby!"

"Nebby? You mean that Pokémon right over there?"

What's going on? Did I go back in time?

"Sun! I'm going back to Iki to get grandpa. Don't do anything stupid, okay?"

 _No! I don't think that bridge is going to hold long enough for Hau's grandpa to get here in time. I've got to go get Nebby… but this time I'm gonna scare away those Spearow first._

Scare away the Spearow?

-Yes

-No

 **-No**

 _What? What do you mean, "no"? And who are you?_

Do not refer to us as "you".

 _Then what? And you still haven't answered my question yet! What are you doing here?_

We go by many names. You may call us anything. I am here to progress time.

 _Progress time?_

It was only the sound of a crumbling bridge that Sun realized that "he" was walking across the bridge again. Just like last time, his body crouched down to pick up Nebby, only to start to get pecked and scratched by the Spearow.

 _Ow! I don't remember getting hurt by the Spearow last time! Whoever you are, fight back or something!_

Fight back?

-Yes

-No

 **-No**

"Pew!"

Kablooooosh!

Crack.

 _Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!_

"Pew!"

"Nebby!"

A flash.

Sun looked towards where the other side of the bridge used to be, and saw something yellow, orange, and black zip towards him, and catch him mere feet before hitting the water again. It then flew towards where Lillie was, and put Sun down, Nebby in his arms.

Only then did the two of them get to see who saved him.

It was a small, human looking Pokémon, with white and orange stripes and lines covering it's mostly black body. It had no legs, instead having three orange feather-like appendages that it used to levitate. Likewise, it had no arms, instead having 2 large shield-like structures where the hands would be, decorated with more stripes and lines. A large orange mohawk-like structure ran up and down it's rather small head.

The Pokémon roared, electricity shooting up towards the sky, then flying away into the distance.

"Who was that?"

Lillie's hat was rather lopsided from the entire endeavour.

 _Truth be told, I'm curious as well._

Tapu Koko. The Land Spirit Pokémon. This guardian deity of Melemele is brimming with curiosity. It summons thunderclouds and stores their lightning inside its body.

 _Wait, so this is what Professor Kukui meant by "the Pokémon that watches over Melemele Island?_

The crunching of footsteps could be heard not far away. Seconds later, Hau and an elderly man wearing a yellow shirt and white pants.

"Sun! I got grandpa, let's- wait, you got Nebby?"

 _Yeah, I did, probably going back in time in the process. Why can't I say anything?_

-Yes

-No

 **-Yes**

"Yes."

"You went across that bridge, didn't you? Well, Sun, that is your name correct? That was a very dangerous thing you just did. I'm surprised you didn't die by falling into the river! That bridge is off limits to people without permission."

Lillie was off in the corner, fidgeting with her bag, which Nebby had already climbed in.

"Um, Mr…"

"Just call me Hala, Lillie."

"Um, yes, Mr. Hala. It was kind of my fault that Sun went across the bridge."

"How?"

"Well, I, uh, went to the bridge first. I didn't know that it was off-limits, sorry! I guess Nebby didn't like being in the bag for too long, so he sort of jumped out and went to the middle of the bridge. All of a sudden, these Spearow came and started attacking him! I called Nebby to come back, and I suppose Sun and Hau heard me and came to see what was going on."

"Hmm. I see. Did you, by any chance, meet any Pokémon besides Nebby here and those Spearow when you were here?"

"Y-yes. When Sun went to try and get Nebby, the Spearow attacked both of them, and Nebby got a little too scared and let out this… explosion of sorts. It collapsed the bridge and just before both of them hit the water, this Pokémon came out and caught them!"

"Ahh, I see. That would explain why I thought I saw Tapu Koko flying around here."

"Wow, Sun, you got to see Tapu Koko! I've always wanted to meet a island guardian!"

Just then, everyone heard a second set of footprints running towards the bridge. It was Professor Kukui, and he was clearly nervous, with sweat running down his face and his breaths short and fast.

"Sun! Hau! Lillie! Is everyone okay?"

-We're fine!

-Did something happen?

 **-We're fine!**

"We're fine!"

 _Couldn't you at least let me say something?_

At that, Professor Kukui calmed down.

"Whew! I was afraid that something happened to you three… Lillie, for future reference, the bridge is off limits."

"Professor, you know Lillie?"

"Oh, yes! I don't think you've met before? She's my assistant."

"Wow!"

"I did come up here for another reason, though. Come on, everyone!"

Hau looked back at the bridge.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see, cousin!"

* * *

The team of five made their way back to the center of Iki town, where three Pokémon stood on the wooden podium.

The first was a light brown bird, with a white face and big, bulbous eyes. It had 2 leaves positioned on its chest in such a way that it resembled a bowtie, and orange, taloned feet.

The second was a black and white cat, with yellow slitted eyes and a brushy black tail. It was the only one not standing, instead, it was laying down on four feet, fast asleep.

The last one resembled a ocean blue Seel, only it had a pink, clownish nose and a blue fringe around its neck. This Pokémon was blowing up a water bubble, only to have it burst and splash all over itself and the Pokémon next to it, which hissed loudly. It was quite comical.

Hau looked over all of the Pokémon, then took out a pokéball from his backpack and threw it onto the ground.

"Pichu, come out!"

A burst of smoke later, one (sleeping) Pichu was out of the pokéball. Lillie looked at it, then started giggling.

"It's cute!"

"Thanks! Professor, grandpa, are you doing what I think you're doing?"

"Yep! It's time for Sun to choose his first Pokémon… if he wants too."

 _No, I don't think so. Not after that experience with the Spearow; I doubt I'm going to be able to look at Pokémon the same way twice!_

Choose a Pokémon?

-Yes

-No

 **-Yes**

"I'm going to choose one."

 _Oh come on! You're in my body, don't you think you could at least do what I ask you to do?!_

Hau seemed to stop dead, confusion settling over his face.

"Sun, I thought you told me you didn't want to become a Pokémon trainer… what made you change your mind?"

"Hau, people change their minds for all kinds of reasons. Perhaps Sun here changed his mind when he met those Spearow!"

 _That's just the opposite._

Professor Kukui laughed, then looked straight into Sun's eyes.

"Alright then, cousin! Time to start and choose! Hala, you want to take it away from here?"

"Very well. We have three Pokémon here for you to choose. First off is the Grass-type Pokémon, Rowlett!"

"Koo!"

The bird rotated around its feet, giving everyone a 360 degree view of its body.

"Next is the Fire-type Pokémon, Litten!"

"Mrowr!"

The cat jumped up and down happily.

"And last is the Water-type Pokémon, Popplio!"

"Bwark!"

The little Seel look-alike got on its front paws and clapped it's hind flippers in the air.

"Which Pokémon will you choose as your partner?"

 _None of them! But if I had to choose, I'd say Popplio._

We agree.

-The Grass-type Rowlett

-The Fire-type Litten

-The Water-type Popplio

 **-The Water-type Popplio**

 _I'd still go with no Pokémon, but at least you did something I wanted, whoever you are._

"Oh ho ho! So you choose the Water-type Pokémon Popplio as your partner?"

-Yes

-No

 **-Yes**

"Yes."

"Only when you have both chosen each other can you truly call each other partners."

The Popplio gently eased itself off of the wooden podium. Well, tried anyway, as it stumbled halfway and landed on it's nose.

~ Ow! ~

 _Huh? Was that the Popplio talking?_

Yes. It is.

~ That is strange. Humans only have one voice, correct? ~

 _You're not wrong there. I don't know what this other voice is._

~ I see. You sound… nervous. Do you not want to become my partner? ~

We do.

 _Well, not me! I never wanted to become a Pokémon trainer in the first place!_

~ Since the first voice said "we", I will take that as a yes. ~

The Popplio hobbled over, and "Sun" gently picked up the Pokémon.

You picked up Popplio gently.

It starts smiling at you!

 _Now you're narrating everything?_

~ I am honored to become your partner, Human. What is your name? ~

Oh, me? M-my name is Sun. I don't know about the other person's name.

I am not a person.

 _Then what are you?!_

"Ho! So Popplio has accepted you as well, Sun! Having accepted one another, I hope you will be partners for life!"

Popplio's nickname?

~ I have a name already. I prefer you "nickname" me Aria. ~

Make Popplio's nickname Aria?

-Yes

-No

 **-Yes**

~ Thank you. ~

Lillie looked at Popplio and smiled gently.

"Nice to meet you, Popplio!"

~ Hi! I'm Nebby! ~

~ Hello, Nebby. My name is Aria. What sort of Pokémon are you? ~

~ I can't tell you. Sorry! ~

"Oh! When did you get out again? I know that Kahuna Hala and the professor will keep you safe from any harm, but you should still stay in the bag and out of sight. It's safer that way. I think you choose a wonderful Pokémon. Please take good care of it."

"That's it, Sun! Now that you've got a Pokémon, you're a real Pokémon trainer, yeah!"

 _I guess I don't have a choice by this point. Let's see how being a Pokémon trainer feels like._

"And here's a lovely gift from me to help make it special, cousin."

You obtained a Pokédex!

"A Pokédex is a real high-tech kind of tool, yeah, that can automatically record facts about any Pokémon that you meet. Your new partner Popplio is already registered, oh yeah, so check it out! And this is a Trainer Passport that I had put together for you. Now why don't you go introduce your new friend to your mom, Sun?"

"Can I see that Pokédex, Sun?"

Hau took the Pokédex from Sun's hands and started looking over it.

"Professor, where's the Rotom?"

 _The Rotom?_

Professor Kukui rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"There was a problem. The company that makes these Pokédexes had a Rotom break-out last week, yeah, and Sun's was delivered without a Rotom. It still works, but sorry about that, cousin."

"That's okay."

Well, time to go home.

"Hey, Sun! I'm going on my Pokémon too! Let's battle later when we meet again!"

But Sun was already making his way back down the hill he came from.

 _Let's just hope this doesn't end up badly…_

Saving game. Don't turn off the power.

Game saved.

* * *

Boring chapter. But then again, this is just the first 30 minutes of the game here.

To Eevee: I update rather sporadically, so just be patient and I will upload.

As always, review!


	4. Home is where the heart is at

"Look at you two!"

"Meowth!"

~ Hello. I am Aria. I presume you are my partner's other Pokémon? ~

~ Nya. I am just this woman's partner. ~

"Oh, I think I'm falling in love! Why did you choose this sweetheart? You two look so cute together!"

-Because it's cute

-Because it's cool

 _I don't know…_

We would like to saw that it is because it is powerful, but that is not a choice.

 **-Because it's cool**

"Because it's cool."

"Well then, you picked right… because I'd say this little charmer is definitely both cute and cool!"

 _Leave it to mom to make both answer choices correct._

"Alright, it's getting late. I've set up a new Pokémon bed for your new partner here. Sleep well, because I've also asked Professor Kukui to teach you a few basic things before heading off by yourself!"

 _Now that mom mentions it, I've got no idea how to battle or even catch Pokémon._

We do.

 _Really?_

* * *

The next day, Sun's mom woke up both Aria and Sun early.

"Wake up!"

 _What time is it?_

You checked the alarm clock.

It reads, 6:00 A.M.

 _This early?_

"Come on out, sleepyhead. It's Alolan tradition for a new Pokémon trainer to begin their journey at 8:00!"

 _Okay, okay, I'm coming!_

Ten minutes later, the family, plus one new member, were sitting at the table eating breakfast. All of a sudden, the doorbell rang.

"Oh, my, he's here already? Sun, could you go and open the door for him?"

Turns out that it wasn't necessary, as Professor Kukui simply opened the door himself.

"Hey there, Sun! You sleep well last night? Today, we're heading out towards the festival!"

 _Festival?_

The sound of footsteps alerted everyone to Sun's mom's interference.

"Professor, I thought that you were going to teach Sun how to catch Pokémon!"

"And I will! But I'm going to do that on the way to the festival. It's tradition for all new Pokémon trainers to battle in a festival to honor this island's guardian, yeah!"

"Alright. Have fun at the festival, sweetie! Oh, and here!"

You got a small necklace!

"This is just something I want you to take with you on your journey, just in case you miss your mom. Good luck on your journey! I'm always here if you need something!"

~ Nya! Go, Sun! ~

~ Partner, are we ready? ~

 _Let me see… clothes, sunscreen, Pokédex, Trainer Passport, water, and a bunch of other things. Yeah, I think we're all set._

Indeed.

 _All right then. Deep breaths._

"Well, what are we waiting for? Come on, cousin! Use your agility and meet me at Route 1 as soon as possible!"

* * *

His first impression of Route 1 was that there was quite a bit of tall grass.

No, scratch that. The entrance was completely covered with a sea of tall grass, and beyond there was a dirt road, too thin for any cars to drive through. It must be for walking.

"Hey, Sun, over here!"

Professor Kukui was standing in the middle of the tall grass.

"So you know that wild Pokémon will sometimes jump out at you in the tall grass, yeah?"

 _Yak! Really? That sounds scary!_

"Now that you've got Popplio there, you can not only fight wild Pokémon, yeah… you can also try to catch em'. Woo! I'm going to show you how to catch a wild Pokémon, all right? Keep your eyes on the prize!"

The professor started to walk towards the dirt road on the other side of the tall grass, but not two steps in, something jumped out of the grass.

Oh! A wild Pikipek appeared!

The bird, or "Pikipek", was small, and it was mostly black, with a red tipped crest. It rotated it's head around, looking at Professor Kukui and Sun.

Kukui sent out Rockruff!

Out of the pokéball came a small, light brown dog. It had bright blue eyes, along with splashes of darker brown around its body. A white, fluffy tail wagged back and forth eagerly as the Rockruff awaited instructions.

Sun found himself rather confused as of right now.

It wasn't the battling, no, it was the fact that he could see what looked like a menu screen, with miniature icons representing the Pikipek and Rockruff, along with four other options on there: Pokémon, Bag, Run, and Fight. A small iconed hand pointed to the Fight button, and pressed on it.

Four new buttons appeared on the screen: Tackle, Leer, Sand Attack, and Bite. The iconed hand pushed on the Tackle button.

"Rockruff! Use tackle on that Pikipek!"

~ Yes! ~

Rockruff used Tackle!

A smashing noise brought Sun's attention to a small bar right above Pikipek's head. It seemed to be some sort of… health meter? There was also something right next to Pikipek's name: Lv. 3.

 _What is all this? Can Professor Kukui see what I'm seeing?_

No.

The wild Pikipek used Peck!

~ That hurt! I'll show you, meanie! ~

The Pikipek hardened its beak, then charged towards Rockruff, smashing its beak on the dog's head in the process. Rockruff seemed slightly dazed, but not seriously injured, and his health meter took surprisingly little damage.

It's not very effective… 

"You've got to weaken a Pokémon up a bit before you try lobbing a pokéball at it!"

Sun's stomach wasn't agreeing with him, however. He'd never liked seeing Pokémon hurt in battle, and the sight of that Pikipek was making him feel guilty for just standing there.

The menu appeared again, and this time Kukui's cursor hand was pointing to the bag button. Clicking on it, a new menu opened up, showing that all the professor had on him was a potion and a 50 pokéballs.

 _Gee, I'd think that 50 pokéballs are too much…_

Kukui used a pokéball!

A red and white ball flew through the air, towards the weakened Pikipek. It hit it on the head, the opened up and absorbed the Pokémon into it.

One shake.

Two shakes.

Three shakes.

Click!

Gotcha! Pikipek was caught!

If Sun listened carefully, there was a fanfare somewhere off in the distance.

Kukui picked up the pokéball on the ground, then turned to face Sun.

"Oh yeah! Wild Pokémon do sometimes attack people if they get close, but catch em' and they'll join your team and be a great help to you, yeah! But if your Pokémon get all tuckered out by fighting for you, just go to the nearest Pokémon center and they'll rest your Pokémon for free! Or you could use some potions! Here's some pokéballs and potions to get you started out."

You obtained 10 pokéballs!

You opened up the Items pocket and put away the pokéballs inside.

You obtained 5 potions!

You opened up the Medicine pocket and put the potions away inside.

"Now it's your turn! Why don't you have a little adventure of your own on the way to Iki town, yeah? Take good care of Sun, Popplio!"

Saying that, Professor Kukui walked away, and Sun was alone.

 _Okay then. Let's take this one step at a time and- wait, where are you going?_

To get a Pikipek.

"Scree!"

 _Uh oh. That doesn't sound good._

A wild Caterpie appeared!

Go! Aria!

Aria came out of the pokéball, ready for action. The menu from before also popped up in front of Sun's eyes.

 _Okay, okay! Stay calm. The first thing you need to do is-_

Unfortunately, the Run button was pushed before Sun could say anything.

Got away safely!

 _Whew. Close one._

Not two steps later, something smacked straight into Sun's face.

"Cheep!"

A wild Pikipek appeared!

Go! Aria!

Aria, once again, popped out of the pokéball, but she was looking less enthusiastic than before.

~ Are we going to fight for real now? ~

 _I don't want to though. Is there a way to catch Pokémon without hurting them?_

No.

The cursor clicked on the Fight button, then on an option called "Water Gun".

Aria used Water Gun!

A stream of high-pressured water came out of Aria's mouth, and was sent careening towards the Pikipek in front of her, sending it flying back around two feet. Shaking the water off, the Pokémon got up, but it's health bar was now in the yellow, clearly weakened.

~ Ow! That was not cool, dude! ~

The wild Pikipek used Peck!

~ Ow! ~

 _Aria! You okay?_

~ I'm fine! ~

 _Looking at that Pikipek's life bar… I think we can throw a pokéball at it now._

Aria used Pound!

~ Yeah! ~

Aria rushed towards the Pikipek, pounding it with her front flippers before sliding off to the side.

~ Knock it off! ~

The wild Pikipek used Leer!

~ Brr. That was rather scary. ~

Aria's defense fell!

What will Aria do?

 _Now can we use the pokéball?_

Yes.

Sun used a pokéball!

The ball flew across the air, much like Professor Kukui's, before hitting the Pikipek right on it's beak.

One shake.

Two shakes.

Three shakes.

Gotcha! Pikipek was caught!

Once again, the fanfare played somewhere far away.

 _That wasn't so bad._

Pikipek's nickname?

~ Dude, I have a name already. ~

~ Then say it. ~

~ It's Dave. ~

Make Pikipek's nickname Dave?

-Yes

-No

 **-Yes**

Dave was added to the party.

~ Hey, what's your name? ~

~ My name is Aria. I am Sun's first partner. ~

~ Who's Sun? The guy who's nervous or the guy who's talking in a bland monotone all the time? ~

~ To be honest with you Dave, I'm not sure. ~

 _I'm Sun. I have no idea who this other guy is._

We go by many names.

 _You've already said that, what, 3 times already?_

Despite the bickering, Sun and co. moved past the tall grass and onto the dirt road. Dave's sharp eyes came in handy when he spotted something on the ground not far away.

~ Dude, you see that over there? ~

 _Where?_

~ There! By the wooden fence! ~

You found a Potion! 

You opened up the Medicine pocket and put the Potion inside.

 _Thanks, Dave. Here, come closer._

Used the potion!

Dave HP was restored by 16 point(s).

~ Who is that up ahead? ~

True to Aria's words, around 10 feet away from them, around the corner, was a small kid. He had to be no more than about 6 years of age, and he was tossing a pokéball from his hand.

 _Maybe he's lost._

But when Sun approached the young boy, he was immediately greeted with a happy smile eager for battle.

"When the eyes of Pokémon trainers meet, it's time to battle!"

 _Wait, what? No! I was just going ask you something!_

You are challenged by Youngster Jimmy!

Youngster Jimmy sent out Rattata!

Go! Aria!

What will Aria do?

Instead of going to the Fight button, the cursor moved to the Pokémon button. Clicking on it revealed a menu with icons for both Aria and Dave.

~ Aria! You aren't hogging all the fun here! ~

 _Fun?_

~ I suppose you want the experience of battling? ~

~ Hell yeah! ~

Agreed.

 _You listen more to Aria and Dave than you do to me._

Aria, come back!

Go! Dave!

Dave rushed forward to face off against the Rattata, head high and excitement coursing through his body.

The opposing Rattata used Tackle!

Blam!

The Rattata had charged towards Dave, slamming it's (admittedly hard) head against Dave's chest, taking the air out of him. Stumbling backwards, he coughed, trying to get the wind back in his lungs.

A critical hit!

 _Dave!_

~ I'm okay! I can still fight! ~

Sun doubted it. Looking at Dave's life bar, he saw that it was in the low yellows.

What will Dave do?

 _Use Peck!_

True to Sun's words, the cursor moved to the Fight button, then Peck.

Dave used Peck!

The Rattata, looking smug from it's last attack, did not look up until it was too late, and by then Dave had rammed his firm beak right on top of its head.

~ Yeowch! That Ratatta's head was hard enough that I think I took recoil damage! ~

~ Who are you calling hard headed?! I'll show you! ~

The opposing Rattata used Tail Whip!

~ Nyah nyah nyah boo boo! Ha ha ha ha ha! ~

Sun could practically feel the sweatdrop forming on his head. Based on Aria's facial expression, she was too.

~ He is not serious, is he? ~

 _I think he was._

What will Dave do?

Dave used Peck!

One more painful (at least according to Dave) Peck later, the battle was over.

The opposing Rattata fainted!

Dave gained 20 Exp. points!

You defeated Youngster Jimmy!

"I lost! But that was still exciting!"

You received 60 Pokédollars for winning!

 _Good job, Dave! Are you okay?_

~ Dude, you don't need to keep worrying about us every 2 seconds. I'm fine! ~

 _Still, I think we need to use a potion on you, just in case._

Agreed. You are too low on HP and we need you at full strength.

Instead of the normal menu screen Sun was used to, a different sidebar came up. On there, it listed many buttons and functions that he didn't understand (settings?) but a few notable were Pokémon, Pokédex, and a weird one called "Save".

The cursor clicked on the "Bag" button and then clicked on a Potion button.

Used the Potion!

Dave's HP was restored by 18 point(s).

~ Thanks. That feels soooo much better. ~

 _Let's get a move on. If we take too long, Professor Kukui's gonna start wondering where we are._

Walking past Youngster Jimmy, Sun found out that there were more trainers up ahead. He didn't battle all of them, wanting to get to Iki town as fast as possible for the festival, but he did earn 120 Pokédollars: 72 from Lass Audrey and 48 from Preschooler Oliver.

After more walking, he eventually came across an area with 6 wooden torches, leading up to a familiar arch and a set of steps. They were in Iki town at last. As he walked up the steps and past houses, he saw people everywhere. Some were children, chasing each other in playful innocence. Others were adults, talking about matters such as scientific articles or what their Pokémon were doing last.

The sound of footsteps alerted Sun and co. that Kahuna Hala was walking towards them, with a smile on his face. He stood there for a while, stretching out a silence between them. At last, he spoke.

"The Alola region is made up of four islands. And each island has its own guardian Pokémon. Our festival today is held to express our thanks to these great Pokémon deities for always remaining by our sides."

 _I don't think that fits the definition of a festival._

"Well, we may call it a festival, but it's just this little thing you see here. There may not be many of us, but at least every last one of us here goes all out."

Hala stepped aside, and Sun continued towards another set of steps in front of him. On closer inspection, Hau was there, standing next to a Litten. When he heard Sun's footsteps, he turned around.

"Ho! Howzit, Sun? Man, I thought you'd never make it! Me and Litten've been waiting for ages!"

 _We didn't take that long, did we? Please tell me we didn't take that long to get here._

"Hold on… Didn't anyone explain to you about tonight?!"

 _Kind of. Professor Kukui mentioned something about battling, though._

Before Hau could ask Sun why he wasn't answering his question, Professor Kukui and Lillie walked up to everyone.

"Oh yeah, right on time!"

"But to what, exactly?"

"A full-powered festival for Pokémon battling! We battle in the name of Tapu Koko, pitting our best moves against one another in friendly competition to please our guardian. Woo!"

Lillie turned to face the two boys with shock on her face.

"So you two will be taking part in the battle? I don't like seeing Pokémon fight one another, since they so often get hurt… But it seems like this is an important event, so I'll be sure to watch you both."

"Don't worry about it! Sun here was just like you! He didn't like seeing Pokémon battle each other when I first met him! By the way, what made you change your mind, Sun? You still haven't answered that!"

Unfortunately for Hau and fortunately for Sun, their conversation was cut off by the sound of Kahuna Hala coming towards them.

"Your Pokémon have fought for you, so show them the same care in return, Sun. Allow me to heal them for you this time."

Aria and Dave went with Kahuna Hala to be healed from their recent battle injuries, leaving everyone else behind.

At this point, Hau was rather suspicious of Sun's behavior. Sun wasn't this quiet, and he'd stated from the get-go that he didn't want to become a Pokémon trainer! In fact, just after Sun left after choosing Popplio as his partner, he'd went ahead and asked Professor Kukui if he knew anything about Sun's sudden decision to become a Pokémon trainer. The professor just stated again that it was probably because of the encounter with the Spearow.

That logic just didn't hold up in Hau's opinion.

If anything, Sun meeting that flock of Spearow should've made him not want to become a trainer even more, not the other way around!

Hau was just about to open his mouth and ask that question again, but Hala returned back to the group by that point and he lost his chance to ask Sun again. What was it with all the bad timing?

"Are you ready for this Pokémon battle?"

-Yes

-No

 _Well, not really. I think I need more practice with wild Pokémon, to be honest._

We do not have time.

 **-Yes.**

"Yes."

"Then let's begin!"

* * *

Both he and Hau were standing on that wooden podium. Between them, off to the side, Hala served as a judge. There was a small crowd around, watching.

"For all life on our islands… and for those who undertake the island challenge with joy in their hearts… we pray for your protection… for them and all Melemele. May this Pokémon battle be an offering to our island's guardian deity- Tapu Koko!"

Applause burst out from the small crowd.

"Before you stands Hau- grandson to the kahuna. Before him stands Sun- one who has met with Tapu Koko."

Whispers started to break out from the crowd. Tapu Koko was always known as a capricious spirit, and when offerings were not done correctly, it had been known, historically, to wreak havoc upon the island of Melemele.

"What?!"

"What a curious little thing Tapu Koko is!"

"Hah, that's just typical of it!"

Hau looked around at the crowd, and then thought to comfort Sun on the idea of Pokémon battling, even if he did seem okay with the idea by now.

"As long as we both have a great time, then I think we can call it a great battle, eh?"

Silence reigned through the area for a short while.

"Sun! Hau! Bring forth the power of your Pokémon!"

You are challenged by Pokémon trainer Hau!

Pokémon trainer Hau sent out Pichu!

Hau's signature Pokémon came bursting out of its pokéball and landed on the podium with a soft thump.

~ Let's do this, partner! ~

Go! Aria!

Aria, using her front flippers, scooted forward.

What will Aria do?

 _Hey._

What is it?

 _I know that I can't do anything to make you do this right now, but could you let me decide how to battle this time around?_

You know nothing of how to battle.

 _So what?! Then I need to get better! Besides, you're the one who got us both into this situation, and you're using my body, so could you at least let me make some of the decisions here?!_

Failure is not an option.

 _Yes it is! The only way I'm going to make sense of anything related to battling is if I learn from my mistakes! Besides, you have that weird ability to turn back time, so if you're so paranoid about failing then why don't you just "reset" or whatever you did back then at the bridge?!_

… 

We will let you battle, but if you are about to lose, we will take back control.

 _I'll keep my promises on that._

Then begin.

Sun took a deep breath and looked at the menu screen, which was starting to become familiar.

 _Okay, so I'm not off to a great start. Aria's LV. 7, but I don't have any super effective moves against that Pichu!_

~ Sun! Moves do not have to be super effective to be useful, you simply have to avoid moves that have little or no effect! ~

 _Thanks, Aria._

~ No problem, partner. ~

The cursor moved towards the Fight button, then clicked on Water Gun.

The opposing Pichu used Charm!

 _Wait, what?_

Aria's attack harshly fell!

~ Ergh, I was too slow… ~

 _I get it now. The faster Pokémon gets to attack first!_

Aria used Water Gun!

Once again, Aria shot a stream of compressed water out of her mouth. It hit the Pichu square in the chest, and left a soaking wet Pichu on the ground, with a little more than half of its HP left over.

~ Achoo! That water's cold! ~

"Pichu! Get up!"

Shaking its head a little, Pichu peeled itself off of the podium's wooden floor.

What will Aria do?

 _Hmm. I wonder if there are other moves here that'll do more damage…_

The opposing Pichu used Thundershock!

A small spark of lightning left the Pichu's body, then flew towards Aria at breakneck speed. She was surprisingly limber, however, and managed to prevent the shock from hitting her main body and head. It unfortunately hit her left flipper, and Aria let out a yelp of pain.

~ Yeow! ~

 _Aria!_

It's super effective!

Aria's health bar was now quite low.

Aria used Growl!

The opposing Pichu's defense fell!

 _That did no damage… dang it!_

What will Aria do?

 _Dang it, I need to think, and fast! Aria's slower than Pichu, and if Hau tells Pichu to use Thundershock next turn, Aria's a goner!_

~ Dude! ~

 _Dave?_

Sun had almost forgotten about the Pikipek that was on his shoulder.

~ Calm down. Even if Aria faints, I'm next in line to battle! ~

 _...You're right. I also have 4 potions to heal Aria up anyway!_

The opposing Pichu used Tail Whip!

Hau couldn't land his finger on why, but Sun seemed rather… embarrassed by that move. In fact, so did his Popplio.

Aria's defense fell!

 _Phew! I guess Hau made a mistake too…_

Aria used Water Gun!

A second stream of water careened towards Pichu, but this time it hit Pichu's forehead. It seemed to do the trick too; Pichu's life bar was hanging on by mere slivers.

 _Yes! Told you that I could learn from my mistakes!_

Then win this.

What will Aria do?

 _Alright then, one more time!_

The opposing Pichu used Thundershock!

~ Argh! ~

It's super effective!

Aria fainted!

 _Aria! I'm sorry…_

~ All things considered, I did rather well. ~

 _All right then. Dave, you're up!_

Just a little longer! Hang in there, Dave!

~ Yeah! ~

Dave left his comfortable perch on Sun's shoulder and lept onto the battlefield.

What will Dave do?

 _I don't have much of a choice other than to use this, but Pichu's on its last legs, so this shouldn't be too hard._

Dave used Peck!

Pichu, still highly weakened from Aria's Water Gun assaults, didn't look up even as Dave rushed forward to ram his beak onto Pichu's head.

It's not very effective…

The opposing Pichu fainted!

"Pichu, return!"

A flash of light later, and Pichu was safe in it's pokéball.

Dave earned 44 EXP. Points!

Dave grew to LV. 6!

Pokémon trainer Hau sent out Litten!

Another pokéball flew through the air, and released the fire-type starter.

~ Woar! Fight me! ~

What will Dave do?

 _Only one option here…_

Dave used Peck!

Smash!

The opposing Litten used Scratch!

A terrible slicing noise could he heard throughout the area, and everyone visibly flinched (except for Sun, and Hau didn't know how he could keep a straight face through it all).

~ Ow! Gerroff me! ~

~ Then fight me, like a warrior! ~

What will Dave do?

We are almost done.

 _One more time! Come on!_

Dave used Peck!

Time seemed to slow down as Dave flew, gathering up momentum until…

SMASH!

 _A critical hit!_

The opposing Litten fainted!

~ Rrgh! ~

~ Whoo! Is that warrior enough for you now, furball? ~

A red beam of light beamed from the pokéball Hau had in his hand, and Litten disappeared in a haze of sparkles.

Dave gained 81 EXP points!

Dave grew to LV. 7!

You defeated Pokémon trainer Hau!

 _First Pokémon battle, done. Told you I could win!_

…Then we will consider some of your input.

 _Finally._

Hau straightened his back and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, much like Professor Kukui did.

"What?! It's already over?!"

You received 140 Pokédollars for winning!

The crowd erupted into applause for the two Pokémon trainers, along with happy Pokémon jumping up and down, cheering their cries. Whispers once again broke out between the spectators.

"Hoo-ee! Another great battle this year."

"I bet Tapu Koko liked it too."

"Phew, that was awesome, Sun! That was a really great battle! I had a blast fighting you!"

Hau was clearly rather enthusiastic about the entire ordeal, as he had a ginormous smile on his face and excitement on his face.

Aria, with some difficulty, lifted her head off the wooden platform to smile at Hau.

~ I was an honor to fight against you and your partners, Hau. ~

~ Dude, it was awesome! You do know he probably doesn't know what we're saying, right?"

~ Of course. ~

Hala then stepped onto the podium himself, right in between Sun and Hau.

"It was a good battle. With this, even Tapu Koko…"

"Ko-ko-kooo!"

~ That was a good battle. Nothing more expected from you, player. ~

 _Player? You mean him?_

We will see you later.

~ I won't be that easy to capture, trust me. ~

We will do so.

~ Very well. ~

 _Capture? What do you mean?_

Not necessary for the moment. 

"Ho! You heard it yourself! Tapu Koko's song of approval."

By this point, many of the spectators were looking in the direction Hala was, trying to get a glimpse of their guardian. Tapu Koko, the sneak he was known for, was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh! I nearly forgot! I think it's time you take this, Sun."

Hala walked towards Sun, and handed something over. Moments later, there was a white bracelet with an intricate design on Sun's wrist.

You slipped the Z-Ring onto your wrist!

"Your Z-Ring, a mysterious armband that can draw out the power that lies deep within Pokémon… It can bring forth their Z-Power! We kahunas can make them by refining stones like the Sparkling Stone that you received from Tapu Koko."

 _Wait, what?_

Sun felt around himself until he found that there was a small lump of stone stuck on the fringe of his pants. Hau chuckled. _He didn't even notice it? Sun, you're too funny._

"Ahem. Although until you collect more Z-Crystals during your island challenge, you will not be able to draw out the power of your Pokémon. And yet you have already received that Sparkling Stone… It seems that Tapu Koko took quite a liking to you.. or perhaps it has a mission for you."

"In other words, it's time for you to get out there and start your island challenge! If you visit every island, maybe you'll figure out what that mission is."

-The island challenge?

-Every island?

What's the island challenge?

 **-The island challenge?**

"The island challenge?"

Professor Kukui posed dramatically, as if he was in a show.

"Four islands! The island challenge is about aiming to be the strongest Trainer- the island challenge champion. Woo!"

 _There's no gyms here? So that's what the brochure on the plane meant when it said that Alola was remote…_

"Sounds great right, Sun? I can't wait to have a real adventure!"

"I'll explain about the island challenge later! Right now, it's getting late, and I've booked rooms for you two to stay the night at! Rest up, cause tomorrow your adventure's going to really start rollin'!"

"Wahoo!"

 _That was just the beginning? I hope I'm ready for all this…_

"Hau, your room is inside that house, on the second floor. Your grandpa requested that you spend the night yourself. Sun, come with me."

Professor Kukui started to lead Sun and Lillie off to the south of Iki town.

"Tapu Koko is amazing, isn't it?"

Lillie had stopped walking, and she was looking at the ground, solemnly.

"I-I hope I can meet it again someday and thank it for saving Nebby…"

~ Yeah! ~

-Me too.

-Oh yeah?

 _If Tapu Koko wasn't there, I don't think we'd be having this conversation._

 **-Me too.**

"Me too."

"It saved you as well, didn't it? And left you with that Sparkling Stone… even though you're a stranger to this place."

Neither.

 _What?_

We are neither strangers nor native to here.

 _Well, I'm a stranger._

"Alright, we're here! Sun, your room is in this house, first floor on your right. Lillie, let's go!"

"Then I suppose this is goodbye…"

She looked back at a torch behind her, then left with Professor Kukui through the front arch.

* * *

The room was rather bare of any furniture, and only had four things: a bed, a small desk, a side table for said bed, and a cushion, clearly meant for Pokémon.

~ Interesting. This room is not much different from the building I was raised in. ~

~ Yeah, but I thought that it was supposed to have more stuff in it! ~

 _Well, this is supposed to be a temporary staying place for people who just begun their journey, so the town probably doesn't want to spend too much money on it._

~ Sun, my internal clock already states that it is already too late for us to be awake. Let us sleep.~

~ Dude, that's not fun! I wanted to stay up late! ~

 _Aria's right, you know. It's going to be a long day tomorrow._

~ Aww. ~

After taking a shower, brushing his teeth, and changing his clothes, Sun and co. finally went to bed. As he started to fall asleep, Sun thought he heard something.

Saving game. Don't turn off the power.

Game saved.

* * *

From here on in, the adventure finally starts.

And this is what I mean by sporadic updates. I might be able to get the next chapter out next week, but who knows.

For those who haven't kept up:

Aria (Popplio): LV. 7

Dave (Pikipek): LV. 7

Review as hard as you can, again.


	5. Brief Walk

Sun was never one for waking up slowly.

No, living with the family Meowth for years had told him that it was custom to wake up with a start, and he supposed even if Meowth wasn't there, habits were. It was also custom for him to fall out of the bed, which wasn't ever a good thing, because it always left a bump on his head. Because of this, he'd hoped that because he wasn't in his house, there would be some sort of exception to these daily routines.

Of course, that would be too simple.

You look at the clock.

It reads, 7:00 A.M.

 _At least it isn't as early as yesterday._

Peeling himself off the hardwood floor, he went about his daily routines, as the world around both he and his Pokémon came to life. Before long, everyone was up, and most of Sun's stuff was put away.

~ Sun, how are you feeling? ~

 _I'm fine, Aria._

Knock.

~ Who is that? ~

 _I'll get it._

You opened the door.

Lillie stood outside the door, twiddling her fingers on the strap of her bag. Shuffling sounds from inside the bag was a good indicator that Nebby was trying to get out… again. A clicking sound next to Sun diverted his gaze to the ground next to him.

~ Lil' dude just doesn't give up getting out, huh? ~

 _Guess not._

"Oh! Um… The Professor said… 'Hey there, Lillie! Bring me that great new trainer and Hau. Woo!' So I'm here to show the way to his Pokémon lab, if you'll come with me. It's, um… It's this way."

-Okay!

-Give me a minute!

 _Might as well go… I can pick up my stuff later, so all I need is my backpack now._

Proceeding.

 **-Okay!**

"Let's get going."

* * *

When Lillie mentioned a Pokémon Lab, Sun thought of a large building with modern equipment, scientists everywhere, and the sounds of Pokémon reverberating through the compound.

The direction Lillie was taking him, though, seemed to suggest otherwise. It was the road back home, which Sun found rather confusing: if that was the case, why wouldn't Professor Kukui let him go home instead? He had no time to think deeply about it, because eventually, they came to a patch of tall grass once more.

"You can only reach the Professor's Lab by treading through the tall grass here. He says he can research moves better when he is so surrounded by Pokémon. Since I'm not a trainer, though, I have to rely on using Repels all the time."

~ But, she has a Pokémon. Why doesn't she just use 'Nebby' here to battle? ~

 _Good question, Aria._

His confusion must have been apparent, because Lillie stopped in her tracks and turned around.

"A-and about Nebby. Oh. I mean… Cosmog. Cosmog seems to be a very rare Pokémon. It came from far, far away."

~ Yeah! I came from this weird place that looked a lot like those rooms you two were in! ~

Dave and Aria simultaneously snorted.

~ How is that possible? ~

~ I don't know… ~

~ Dude, I'm pretty sure that's just Lillie's room you saw when you hatched from your egg. ~

Cosmog rapidly shook itself, looking serious.

~ No! It didn't look like those other rooms in the Foundation… there wasn't any white! ~

 _Foundation?_

"It seems to have a very strange power… ", Lillie continued, not noticing the conversation between the three Pokémon.

 _That much is obvious. Nebby blew the bridge I was on to bits._

"It used that power to save me once when I was in danger. But some… other people want Cosmog for themselves, to use that power."

~ Yeah! Tha-that woman was a big meanie! ~

~ Dude, what are you talking about? You're making no sense. ~

"That's why only the Professor and Kahuna Hala and other people I trust know about it… Can you keep a secret? Can you not tell anyone else about Nebby or what happened on that bridge? Please…"

 _Happy to say that I can, since I can't move my mouth._

With that statement, Lillie went into her bag, pulled out a Repel, and sprayed it on herself. She left for the tall grass, and was soon out of sight.

 _Guess she isn't waiting for me. Maybe the Professor's busy._

~ Let's go, partner! ~

Aria and Dave started to head off towards the tall grass, but Sun stopped them.

 _Guys, we can just walk down this little ledge here._

~ …Dude, how did we miss that? ~

A small hop later, and they came to the sight of a rather run-down building. Wooden planks stuck out like a sore thumb against the walls, and many holes were patched up with scraps of metal, or indeed anything that seemed to be around. This was definitely not the Pokémon Lab Sun was picturing.

Loud noises and the sound of objects being knocked over inside certainly didn't help the building's already patchy state.

"Oh yeah, Rockruff! Let's go! Give it everything you've got! My body is ready. Woo!"

Lillie didn't seemed perturbed by the voice, as she simply smiled and shook her head.

"Ahh… There they go again… The Pokémon research Lab has its own unique charm, as I think you might agree."

 _That's an understatement right there._

"I've actually been imposing on the professor here for the past three months. I'm not much of an assistant, but it's the least I can do to pay him back for letting me stay. Maybe I'd be more help if I were a real Pokémon trainer, too…"

Right then, several loud thumping noises and what seemed to be falling bookcases shook the ground, forcing Lillie, Sun, and their Pokémon to step back and wince.

~ WOOOOOAR! Let's see how strong you are, human! ~

Lillie recomposed herself, and then shook her head at the events.

"The professor… He never stops researching moves. Not even… inside the Lab itself. Looks like we'll have to patch the roof again… And I had just washed his lab coat and finally gotten it clean, too. Now it'll be in shreds… and I'm no good at mending clothes… so he'll just have to buy a new one…"

Jerking her head up, Lillie seemed to be aware of the fact that she was rambling and gestured Sun towards the door.

"We should probably go in before he does any more damage…"

 _Hope he's not hurt…_

Let's go.

When they opened the door, the Professor was laughing next to Rockruff, who was wagging its tail quickly, soaking in the praise. Amazingly, nothing was broken badly, and there was only a small book that was torn to shreds. As they walked towards the two, Professor Kukui heard them coming and waved.

"Hey there, Sun! Thanks for getting him for me, Lillie!"

"Of course… However I can be of help… I am supposed to be your assistant, right? Also, are you alright? Those loud noises outside made me a little nervous…"

"Nothing at all! Rockruff's moves were just so stylin', and I was making good progress with my research."

A small jingle behind Lille and Sun alerted them that someone had walked in. Turning around, Hau was standing there, with a smile on his face.

"A-lo-la! The salty breeze sang to me and brought me here to you!"

"Hau! Howisit, cousin? I knew you could find your way here by yourself!"

"I'm great! So, professor, are you gonna tell us about the island challenge, like you promised last night?"

"Yeah! All right, there some important things you need to know about the island challenge. The island challenge is your chance to become the strongest trainer around- the island challenge champion. Woo! It's a great adventure for you and your Pokémon to go on together!"

Right as Professor Kukui finished talking, Lillie pulled out a map out of her bag, eliciting a small grumble from Nebby. Pointing at the map, she began to talk.

"There are four main islands that make up Alola, and a kahuna for each one of them. If you wish to be recognized by the kahunas as worthy, it's said you must clear seven trials."

"Sun! I want you, Popplio, and little Pikipek there to get out there and give it a shot! You were both able to fully use your Pokémon's moves in your very first battle. I think you must have a talent for drawing out Pokémon's strengths, yeah."

-Then yeah, I'll do it!

-Um… I'm not really sure… 

_That second offer looks really tempting, but you're not going to let me choose that, are you?_

No.

 _Come on._

 **-Then yeah, I'll do it!**

"Oh yeah! As someone who's dedicated my life to studying Pokémon moves, I really want to see you out there meeting all kinds of Pokémon on your island challenge! Here! Everybody on the island challenge gets one of these island challenge amulets."

Professor Kukui handed out two amulets, and Hau plus Sun each took one. The amulets had a strange design, made up of 2 interlocking triangles that created a rectangle, along with 2 other triangles jutting out for the sides. Sun tied his to the zipper on his backpack, but Hau just put it into his pocket.

"All right then, Sun! You too, Hau! Get a move on!"

-Ok!

-What?

 _To where?_

 **-Ok!**

"To the trainers' school! You've gotta learn the basics of being a Pokémon trainer through Pokémon battling. It's a long road to becoming the island challenge champion, and the trainers' school is the first step! What about you, Hau? I know you already have some knowledge about battling from your grandpa."

Hau put his hands behind his head and flashed his smile again. Pichu tried to emulate the pose right next to him.

"I'm good. I just wanna play with my Pokémon! I mean, uh, train with them. Right!

"All right then! Get moving you two!"

* * *

The town was surprisingly close to home.

In fact, it was practically next door.

 _We're here already?_

~ What're you complainin' about? If it means less flying for me I'm all for this! ~

~ Dave is correct. Let's go. ~

Well, Dave and Aria seemed to be in good shape, so Sun continued forward, ignoring the Pokémon center. He'd come back to it when he needed it.

Down the block, to the left, was a rather large brown building. The parking lot in front of it was strangely empty, and only three people were standing there. Sun took one look at the building and was greeted with a crest, signifying that he had arrived at the Trainer's school. Professor Kukui seemed to be busy talking to someone else, but as soon as he saw Sun, he turned around.

"Hey there, Sun! I must've passed you somewhere, eh? But welcome to the Trainers' school, the place to learn how to become a Pokémon Trainer! "

"Professor Kukui! Is this the child you told me about?"

…

 _Is something wrong?_

We are not necessarily children.

~ You said "not necessarily". Does that mean some part of you is one? ~

Yes.

~ That's confusing. How can this whatsisname in your head be only kinda a kid? ~

 _Don't look at me._

"Yeah. Put him through the wringer, teach!"

 _Gulp._

Professor Kukui went into the same dramatic pose as before.

"Four trainers! You've got to beat four Pokémon trainers here at the school, Sun! The experience will surely help you and your Pokémon grow stronger, yeah. Actually… speaking of experience, why don't you take this."

You obtained the Exp. Share!

You opened up the Key Items Pocket and put the Exp. Share away inside.

 _What's this do?_

"If you keep that Exp. Share on, yeah, all the Pokémon on your team can get Exp. Points from battle."

 _Wow._

~ Superb. Then you won't have to switch us out if one of us wants to gain experience. ~

~ Dude, turn it on now! ~

 _Hold on a minute here. I want to see what else I need to know._

The girl standing next to the professor, who Sun assumed was a teacher, gestured to the school behind them.

"The trainers who will take part in this lesson may be inside or outside the school. You may also want to visit our classrooms. You'll be sure to learn a lot. All right. Let the lesson begin!"

And with that, she walked away.

"She may not look all that tough, but that teach trains her kids right! One of her students is even a captain! If you want a bit of advice from me, here's something that might help. Once you've fought a species of Pokémon once, you can easily see what types of moves will work best in your next battle. Wandering about in the tall grass to meet lots of different Pokémon'll help with that! Battle all the time, oh yeah!"

Just then, Lillie stepped up, not having said anything during the entire conversation.

"Good luck! Nebby and I want to see you win!"

~ Yeah! Go! ~

 _All right. Let's see how I fare up against trained people…_

We believe we can help.

Saving game. Don't turn off the power.

Game saved.

* * *

Very short chapter this time. Promise the next one will be longer.

Don't worry, I will never give up on this story, but be prepared for long wait times.

Review as hard as you can.


End file.
